35th ANNUAL HEMINGWAY DAYS SET FOR JULY 21-26, 2015

KEY WEST, Florida Keys  Whether composing novels in his Whitehead Street writing studio or fishing for big game in local waters, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway left a powerful legacy in Key West. His zest for life, literary accomplishments and enduring affection for the island he called home throughout the 1930s are to be commemorated Tuesday through Sunday, July 21-26, 2015, during the annual Hemingway Days celebration.

Scheduled events include a look-alike contest for stocky white-bearded men resembling Hemingway, readings and book signings, an awards ceremony for the renowned literary competition directed by author and Hemingway granddaughter Lorian Hemingway, a commemoration of the 116th anniversary of Ernest's July 21 birth, a museum exhibit of rare Hemingway memorabilia, a zany "Running of the Bulls" and a three-day marlin tournament recalling Hemingway's devotion to the deep-sea sport.

During his Key West residence, Ernest Hemingway wrote some of his most enduring works and spent his leisure hours fishing and socializing with local and literary cohorts. Each year, fans of his writing and exuberant lifestyle come together for Hemingway Days.

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Wally Collins, second from left, is congratulated after beating 130 other men to be crowned the 2014 "Papa" Hemingway Look-Alike Contest winner late Saturday, July 19, 2014, at Sloppy Joe's Bar in Key West, Fla. Past winners from left include Stephen Terry, Greg Fawcett and Charlie Bicht. Collins, a Phoenix resident, won the title on his sixth try during the event that was the highlight of Key West's annual Hemingway Days festival that concluded Sunday, July 20, 2014.

Hemingway Days 2015

Wally Collins holds a bust of Ernest Hemingway after winning the 2014 "Papa" Hemingway Look-Alike Contest late Saturday, July 19, 2014, at Sloppy Joe's Bar in Key West, Fla. A Phoenix resident, Collins won the title on his sixth try during the event that attracted 131 entrants. Collins is surrounded by previous winners including, from left, John Stubbings, Gregg Fawcett and Charlie Bicht.

JJ Jerele speaks to judges at the 2014 "Papa" Hemingway Look-Alike Contest late Saturday, July 19, 2014, at Sloppy Joe's Bar in Key West, Fla. Jerele, a Fort Myers, Fla., resident, was one of 131 Ernest Hemingway look-alikes who competed in the contest that was a highlight of Key West's annual Hemingway Days festival.

Wally Collins poses in front of the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum Sunday, July 20, 2014, in Key West, Fla. Collins, a Phoenix restaurateur, won the 2014 "Papa" Hemingway Look-Alike Contest late Saturday, July 19, at Sloppy Joe's Bar. The competition was a highlight of Key West's annual Hemingway Days festival that concluded Sunday, July 20, 2014.

Ernest Hemingway look-alikes kick off the Running of the Bulls Saturday, July 19, 2014, in Key West, Fla. The whimsical event, a parody of its namesake in Pamplona, Spain, is one of many events during Key West's Hemingway Days festival that continued through Sunday, July 20, 2014. Hemingway lived and wrote in Key West throughout most of the 1930s.

Photos by Andy Newman, Florida Keys News Bureau

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